Plant spacing and number of inflorescences for tomato crop grown under protected environment - DOI: 10.4025/actasciagron.v28i3.956

Abstract

The experiment was carried out under protected environment from October, 2001 to March, 2002, at the Teaching, Research and Extension Farm (Ilha Solteira, São Paulo, Brazil) of the College of Engineering of Ilha Solteira, UNESP. The effects of fourplant spacing (30; 40; 50 and 60 cm) and three numbers of inflorescences per plant (3; 4 and 5) for tomato hybrid “Duradoro” were evaluated. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design, in a split-plot array, with four replications. Results showed that the height of plants, at 30 and 50 days after the transplant (DAT), was not influenced by the spacing among plants. At 70 DAT, a linear increase of the height of plants with the reduction of the plant spacing was observed. The yield and the number of fruits per plant as well as the total yield and yield of fruits of medium size per unit area increased directly with the increase in the number of inflorescences. The reduction in the plant spacing increased the total yield of fruits and, also, the yield of fruits of large and medium size.